REPORT ON COUNCIL
May 26, 2008
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:02 am – 12:38 p.m. and 1:10 p.m. – 3:56 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 7:16 p.m.
All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 1:10 p.m. – 3:53 p.m.
HISTORICAL DESIGNATION FOR CONCESSION 2 RAILWAY BRIDGE? At the previous meeting of Council, Lyn Downer, Chair of the Historical and Heritage Committee of Council, urged Council to give the railway bridge over the 2nd Concession Road just east of County Road 6, formal Heritage Designation. He noted that Council has the power to create such a designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. He emphasized the historic significance in the Township of the railway of which this particular bridge was a component. He pointed to similar designations in other municipalities.
Discussing the recommendation during Committee of the Whole, Council appeared to be divided over the issue of designation, Deputy Mayor Lawrence and Councillors Claire and Warren supporting the idea, while Mayor Breckenridge and Councillor Cornell had reservations. In discussion, Councillor Cornell said that he agreed in principal, but that he wanted the proposal costed out before making a decision. Mayor Breckenridge felt that maintaining Tiny Trails railway bridges had been shown to be very expensive.
In the evening, after an in camera session, Council voted 5-0 to ask staff to “prepare a report outlining the process and implications of the heritage designation; costs involved in the rehabilitation of the bridge and the current condition of the bridge, as well as information regarding the Tiny Trail bridge(s) history and background….”
Members of the Historical and Heritage Committee were not pleased that a key discussion had been held in camera.
We note that the bridge spans one of the roads that will probably serve Site 41 and we suspect that the in camera discussion had something to do with that. Like the Mayor, we recall that huge sums were required to renovate railway bridges but we do not remember that costs associated with this particular bridge were explored. It seems prudent that costs be ascertained before a decision is made about designation.
DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS: A by-law is to be prepared to prohibit the discharge of a firearm on Township-owned land. In addition an education package is to be prepared by the local OPP, the Midhurst Ministry of Natural Resources, and hunting associations”to ensure compliance with all applicable bylaws, regulations and laws” and reported on by September/October. The Township is to encourage joint patrols by the OPP and MNR.
